With that title, I couldn't help thinking that it was going to be a sequel to Children of the Corn, or perhaps a parody. But the subject, as you might imagine, was -- hold onto your hats -- how awful things are around here. (I know. What an unusual take.)

They are awful, of course. But CBS' report failed to shed any new light on it. Instead, what the reporter seems to have done was visit a truly awful neighborhood in Flint (New York Street, as I recall) then join that with two smushed together initiatives (the "good news" or "what's being done about it" part of the script) of Genesee County Treasurer Dan Kildee -- the Land Bank and the notion that we should shrink Flint to save it.

Not to be picky, but it's not clear from the report that one is a reality (the Land Bank tearing down homes) while the other is still a notion, and a radically good one at that.

It's probably also picky that one of the children they used to illustrate the story is a friend of my son's, whose father is an engineer who lives in Grand Blanc.

In the story, though, they were identified as living in Flint. And the suggestion was (though never stated) that here was another poor, poor uneducated line worker for GM.

Which isn't the case.

None of that matters, of course. To someone who doesn't live here, Flint is the same as Grand Blanc and vice versa. But the reporter in me couldn't help but be irritated. If I ever turned in a story or column that far from the horseshoes stake, my editor would have had my head, and with good reason.

Again, that's picky, picky, and largely no one cares. But I do think CBS missed a chance to show just how bad this economy is in Michigan by pointing out that even highly degreed people, like my son's friend's dad, are losing jobs. (Although, actually, he just got a new one.)